Abstract

In this paper, gelatin nanoparticles (NPs) have been studied as a carrier to encapsulate protein drug for the controlled release with a prolonged manner. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), a hydrophilic protein drug, was loaded within gelatin NPs through an in situ two-step esolvation method. The average diameter of the NPs is estimated at 180 ± 10 nm by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Gelatin NPs show the mesoporous structure with average pore size of 2.82 nm. To confirm the encapsulation of BSA in gelatin NPs, fluorescent-labelled BSA was encapsulated in gelatin NPs, which were identified by confocal laser scanning microscopy CLSM). The release kinetics of BSA from gelatin NPs in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) was studied through UV-Vis spectrometry. The release profile of BSA from nanoparticulate system could be monitored for 7 days. In addition, the rate of BSA release from gelatin NPs decreases with increasing the concentration of the cross-linker. The release profile of BSA from the gelatin NPs follows a diffusion-controlled release mechanism. Our results also indicate that the acidic condition can delay the release profile of protein from gelatin NPs.